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Posts by Quentin Burgess (201)

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Music Canada Proud to Support 46th Annual JUNO Awards

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Music Canada is proud to return as sponsor of the Album of the Year Award at the 46th Annual JUNO Awards.

“As the Canadian music industry comes together in Ottawa in 2017, coinciding with Canada’s 150th anniversary, we are reminded of the impact that music has had in building our country’s identity. From past Album of the Year winners like Anne Murray, Bryan Adams, and the Tragically Hip, to this year’s nominees, music has always been a defining part of our cultural identity,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “In addition to its intrinsic values, the music sector supports thousands of jobs across the country, which is why we are proud to advocate for policies and programs that benefit the music ecosystem and support a creative middle class.”

The Album of the Year Award will be presented at the 2017 JUNO Awards Broadcast at the Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 in Kanata, ON.

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Music Monday to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary with new anthem in support of music education

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On Monday, May 1, 2017, the Coalition for Music Education will celebrate Music Monday with a cross-country sing-along to raise awareness for music education. The annual event celebrates the unifying power of music as thousands of Canadians join in singing and performing the Music Monday anthem at their schools and other community centres.

This year, inspired by Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Music Monday sing-along will be led by a live-streamed showcase from the nation’s capital. In recognition of the sesquicentennial year, the 2017 Music Monday anthem will celebrate Canada’s musical heritage in its lyrics and instrumentation. The anthem, titled Sing It Together, focuses on the power of voices, and “asks us to sing for joy, for truth, for healing, and for freedom,” explains the event press release. The recording features Inuit throat singing, Métis fiddling, Indigenous drumming, and children’s choirs in celebration of Canadian musical heritages.

Sing It Together was co-written by JUNO Award winners Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas, and was recorded at Canterbury Music in Toronto, with additional layers recorded at Ottawa’s Audio Valley Recording Studio, and Hamilton’s St. James Anglican Church.

“Music is the landscape of Canada,” said Marc Jordan. “We hope it will be a song that illuminates the mosaic of music and cultures that thrive in every corner of the country.”

To join the Canada-wide chorus of students and community groups in singing and performing the song on Music Monday, visit the Get Involved section of the Music Monday website.  Arrangements, audio-visual learning tools, and lyrics in several languages will be made available on the website ahead of the event.

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What was said: Senators Call for Urgent Review of Canada’s Copyright Board

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Today at a press conference in Ottawa, members from the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (Deputy Chair Joseph A. Day and Douglas Black) announced the release of their report on the operations and practices of the Copyright Board of Canada.

The press conference was live-streamed on Periscope, and an archive of the video is embedded below.

A selection of quotes from the event are included below.

Senator Joseph A. Day:
“Simply put: uncertain royalties mean uncertain paychecks. In our investigation, we found the Copyright Board to be slow and its practice very dated.
As the committee reviewed the Board, the most common comment from witnesses, and we heard from several witnesses, was that the board lacks timely decision making when it comes to establishing royalties. These tariffs are the bread and butter of Canadian artists who work in this community’s cultural sector, because they determine how much money businesses must pay in order to use the copyrighted material of the artist.”

“After reviewing the Board’s operations and practices, our committee’s sole recommendation is to call for a thorough, in-depth examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate, practice, and resources.  And examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate, practice, and resources should take place next year as part as the statutory, mandated review of the Copyright Act, the law that governs the Board. The Act is scheduled to have its statutory, five-year review of the Board next year, 2017, which is coming real fast. That is the opportune time not only to review the Act, but to delve deeper into the problems of the board.”

“So today, we are raising awareness about what we found when we talked to people who are intimately familiar with the Board’s work, and who are directly affected by that work of the Board. The one inescapable conclusion that the Copyright Board is not serving the Canadian copyright sector to the best of its ability, nor is it helping Canadian business.”

 

Senator Doug Black:
“As we all can agree in this room, and those who are listening, the cultural industries in Canada are a key component, not only to quality of life, but also to economics. And it is part of our review to ensure that impediments to the economics of Canada are dealt with.
And as Senator Day has so clearly identified, it was our observation that the Copyright Board, despite its best intentions, there is no maleficence here at all, but despite best intentions, the Board is not only not assisting the cultural industries, it is a block to the cultural industries. And we are recommending, as Senator Day indicates, that this needs to have a thorough examination.
We viewed ourselves like a G.P. – the patient came in, we analyzed the patient, and we said ‘my Goodness me’ – this requires the attention of some specialists. So we will over 2017, or the Government over 2017, will have a comprehensive review to understand what needs to be done to ensure the Copyright Board is working.”

“We also learned that the majority of members are part-time – so it’s unfair to expect that the job can get done. We learned of problems with files, we learned of problems with tariffs, we learned of process problems. So what we need to do is figure out what needs to get done, make some strong recommendations to correct it, and I think we also need to look at how its dealt with in our partner countries – how they deal with copyright in the U.K., in the U.S., in Japan. And I don’t know, but we need to look at that, because there will be some best practices and some models that we can utilize, and we’re going to ask the government to do this.
It’s very straightforward – the Copyright Board today is an impediment to the cultural industries in Canada. And there is no Senators that I know – and I would know them all – there is no Senator that would stand in support of any block to cultural industries in this country – it’s important to the quality of our life, and it’s important to our economics.”

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Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce releases report on the Copyright Board of Canada

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At a press conference today in Ottawa, members from the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce (Deputy Chair Joseph A. Day and Douglas Black) announced the release of their report on the operations and practices of the Copyright Board of Canada. The report, which was officially tabled in the Senate on November 30, follows two days of hearings held by the Committee earlier in November. The Committee heard from representatives from the Board, stakeholders, academics and experts. Music Canada took part in the hearings, with President & CEO Graham Henderson appearing before the committee on November 2.

The report, titled Copyright Board: A Rationale for Urgent Review, is a timely and insightful assessment of the current tariff-setting process and its shortcomings. The Report correctly notes that the Committee’s witnesses agreed that the Board’s biggest challenges are delay and unpredictability, while also highlighting potential areas for improvement, such as the imposition of deadlines, case management, simplified/expedited procedures, full-time members, and the elimination of retroactive decisions.

The report states as follows:

“The Copyright Board of Canada plays a pivotal role in Canada’s cultural sector. Yet, from what the committee heard, the Board is dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform. Whether the reasons are statutory, structural or otherwise, the Board did not – or could not – provide the committee with solutions to the problems that were identified by witnesses. The concerns outlined in this report require further investigation and timely action.”

The report ultimately recommends that “the forthcoming five-year statutory review of the Copyright Act should include a thorough, in-depth examination of the Copyright Board of Canada’s mandate, practices and resources.”

Music Canada applauds the Committee’s leadership and recommendation for an urgent, in-depth review.

“I commend the Senate’s Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee for undertaking this important review. The common message at the hearings was that the Board has actually become a barrier to business,” says Graham Henderson, President & CEO of Music Canada. “The Board is inefficient and unpredictable, and decisions take too long. The Committee could not have been more damning in their indictment when they said that the ‘Board is dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform.’ The Committee’s work makes it very clear that the Copyright Board and its tariff-setting process need to be overhauled.”

Music Canada looks forward to working with the government on this issue as we approach the 2017 review of the Copyright Act. A more efficient and predictable tariff-setting process is something that all Board stakeholders can aspire to, and we welcome the Committee’s recognition of the urgency of this issue.

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Canadian music companies successfully settle legal action against isoHunt

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MC smallIFPI Small

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver, 25 July 2016:  Canadian and international music companies have settled litigation against isoHunt Web Technologies Inc. (“isoHunt”) and its founder Gary Fung (“Fung”) with the entering of orders by consent against isoHunt and Fung.  The settlement ends a lawsuit filed in 2010 alleging substantial copyright infringement of music on the isoHunt site, as well as an opposing action filed by isoHunt and Fung.

isoHunt and Fung agreed to a court order finding them liable for infringing the music companies’ rights in their recordings, which were made available for BitTorrent file-sharing through isoHunt’s websites. Fung and isoHunt further agreed not to be associated with any service that makes the music companies’ recordings available without authorization, including by BitTorrent or any other file-sharing technology.

“Music companies in Canada stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against illegitimate sites that distribute massive volumes of creative works without compensation to creators,” said Graham Henderson, President & CEO of Music Canada. “Thousands of Canadian creators, our creative industries, and their employees are directly harmed by these activities. This settlement is a step forward towards providing consumers with a marketplace in which legitimate online music services can thrive.”

isoHunt was one of the largest unauthorized BitTorrent sites in the world, offering access to a vast array of music and films for instant download by millions of users. It operated out of Vancouver with worldwide reach.

“Courts all over the world have confirmed that websites such as isoHunt infringe rights”, said Frances Moore, Chief Executive Officer of IFPI. “Artists, creators and record companies pay a heavy price for that infringement, in lost revenues, lost jobs and lost investment. This settlement sends a strong message that anyone who builds a business by encouraging and enabling copyright infringement faces legal consequences for these actions.”

A timeline of legal activities involving isoHunt:

  • 2008 – isoHunt files a petition in British Columbia Supreme Court against Canadian music companies, seeking to have its BitTorrent file-sharing site declared legal under the Canadian Copyright Act;
  • 2009 – The British Columbia Supreme Court rejects isoHunt’s application, and grants the Canadian music companies’ application to have the petition proceed by way of an action or full trial. isoHunt files such an action;
  • 2009 – A US federal district court finds isoHunt liable for copyright infringement in a case brought by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), citing unchallenged evidence that 95% of the files traded through isoHunt’s sites were likely infringing;
  • 2010 – Two dozen Canadian and international music companies file a lawsuit against isoHunt and Fung in British Columbia Supreme Court, alleging massive copyright infringement and seeking damages;
  • 2012 – The Canadian government passes The Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C-11), which ensures that businesses that enable infringement can be held liable for the activities they facilitate. In public statements, government representatives identify isoHunt as the type of “enabler” that the law is intended to target;
  • 2013 – A US federal court of appeals unanimously upholds the US district court’s decision;
  • 2013 – isoHunt and Fung agree to halt all operations worldwide and are deemed liable for a judgment of US$110 million in the US proceedings;
  • 2016 – by way of a consent order filed in the Canadian proceedings in British Columbia Supreme Court, isoHunt and Fung are liable for CAD$55 million in damages and an additional CAD$10 million in punitive damages.  isoHunt and Fung further agree not to be associated with any service that makes the music companies’ recordings available without authorization.

Despite these successful legal actions, piracy remains a significant problem for the music industry. IFPI estimates that 20 per cent of all fixed line internet users worldwide regularly access services offering infringing music. A recent report by the Digital Citizens Alliance demonstrates that one in three piracy sites contains malware, which could result in identity theft, stolen banking information, or exposure to hackers.

̶   Ends  ̶

For more information:

Quentin Burgess, Music Canada

qburgess@musiccanada.com

+1 (416) 967-7272 x106

 

Adrian Strain, Director of Communications, IFPI

adrian.strain@ifpi.org

+44 (0)20 7878 7935

 

 

Notes for editors:

About Music Canada

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada, namely Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster.

About IFPI

IFPI is the organisation that promotes the interests of the international recording industry worldwide. Its membership comprises some 1,300 major and independent companies in 61 countries. It also has affiliated industry associations in 57 countries.  IFPI’s mission is to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for record producer rights and expand the commercial uses of recorded music in all its member markets.

 

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London City Council to consider two motions aimed at making the Forest City more music-friendly

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Next week, City Council in London, Ontario, will consider two motions aimed at encouraging more music in the downtown core. The motions support the development of the London Music Strategy, which was unanimously supported by Council in 2014 with the goal of building London as a live music city and music tourist attraction. The Strategy has made major strides in recent years with the hiring of Cory Crossman, London’s first Music Industry Development Officer, and the subsequent launch of the London Music Office. The Office recently launched the London Music Census, which will assess London’s music assets as well as barriers to growth.

The first music motion before council would allow a temporary exemption of a by-law contained in the City of London Special Events and Procedures – Section 13, which states that amplified music cannot go later than 11pm, with a 15 minute grace period. The motion, put forward by Tourism London, asks Council to allow shows on September 8, 9, and 10, to go later than 11pm but no later than 1am. This would permit outdoor events during Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, which London will host for the first time this fall. The pair of events are expected to directly benefit the local economy with the booking of approximately 2,000 hotel room nights and an anticipated economic impact of $6-8 million dollars. The motion was supported by London’s Community and Protective Services Committee on July 18th.

The second music motion before council is File Z-8625, a pilot project which temporarily amends Zoning By-law Z-1 to permit amplified music and dancing on existing patios in the Downtown Business Improvement Area and the Old East Village. The temporary amendment would run from August 1 to September 30, 2016. The motion was brought forward by the London Music Office, via the Culture Office, and was supported by the London Planning and Environment Committee last month.

“London is a diverse and eclectic music community that houses many great venues. Current by-law restricts amplified entertainment on commercial patios whether that is a radio, TV or musician singing,” said Cory Crossman, London’s Music Industry Development Officer. “To best serve the community, the Music Office wishes to launch a pilot project focused on establishing best practices to work forward from. This project is temporary and focused on creating practical solutions for amplified music on patios at restaurants, bars and dedicated venues.”

Music Canada research has shown that seemingly minor adjustments to municipal policies can paid major dividends in the growth of a city’s music scene. The Mastering of a Music City, which identifies best practices for growing a city’s music scene, cites an example from the State of New South Wales, which eliminated a special license needed by venues to host live music in 2009. Music-friendly policies allow music and culture to flourish in downtown areas. Creating a vibrant music scene not only brings economic benefits in the form of business activity and tourism, it adds a ‘cool’ factor to a city that can accelerate other benefits such as attracting and retaining investment and talent. For example, Montreal has invested heavily in its cultural district, the Quartier des Spectacles, which hosts over 30 venues and even more festivals, which, according to officials with the city of Montreal’s cultural office, has increased the quality of life for those living and working there.

The two motions before Council are indicative of the continued growth of the London Music Strategy, and a sign that the London Music Office, Tourism London, and the London Arts Council are committed ensuring the Forest City is a music-friendly city.

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CONNECT Music Licensing achieves efficiency in royalty distribution

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CONNECT Music Licensing has announced their decision to have their nearly 2,700 members receive public performance and private copying royalties directly from Re:Sound. The move marks a new level of efficiency in royalty distribution, making the distribution process simpler and more effective. Going forward, CONNECT’s members will receive public performance and private copying royalties directly from Re:Sound, eliminating duplication in the royalty distribution process and making it simpler and more cost effective. Per the release, the change will cut overall distribution costs by about one-third.

“CONNECT continuously strives to work as efficiently as possible. To this end, we saw a way to save time and money for our nearly 2,700 rights holders by having Re:Sound, a trusted partner of CONNECT, pay public performance and private copying royalties directly to our members. This will allow CONNECT to focus on reproduction royalties and will mean greater royalty payments to record labels and artists, faster,” said Graham Henderson, President of CONNECT Music Licensing.

“At Re:Sound, we are committed to maximizing public performance royalties for artists and record labels and ensuring that royalties are distributed as efficiently, and at as low cost, as possible. CONNECT’s move to bring their member labels to Re:Sound directly means more of every dollar will get into the hands of the labels themselves,” said Ian MacKay, President of Re:Sound.

The move was also applauded in CONNECT’s release by Mathieu Drouin, CONNECT Board Member and President of Crystal Math Music Group, Stuart Johnston, President of the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), Shauna de Cartier, President of Six Shooter Records and Chair of CIMA, and Frances Moore, CEO, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

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Creative BC announces Advisory Committee to support BC Music Fund

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Creative BC has announced the appointment of a new Advisory Committee that will provide input in the administration of the BC Music Fund, which was announced earlier this year by Premier Christy Clark and the Government of British Columbia. The $15 million grant, which will be administered by Creative BC, aims to “support and promote various aspects of the industry, such as direct investment in BC’s music industry, enhancing live music opportunities, stimulating the creation and retention of jobs and promoting BC’s music on the national and global stage,” said the release.

The Advisory Committee will be chaired by Creative BC CEO Prem Gill, and is comprised of artists and representatives of various areas of the music sector.

“BC has a real opportunity to be an industry leader with the administration of the BC Music Fund,” said Gill in a release. “Creative BC has reviewed areas that are in most need of funding and is ready to work with the Committee to ensure we maximize the potential of this sector.”

Members of the Advisory Committee include:

  • Alex Cuba, Artist
  • Amy Terrill, Music Canada
  • Asha Bhat, Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
  • Bruce Allen, Bruce Allen Talent
  • Bryan Adams, Artist
  • Catherine Runnals, Brand Live
  • Nick Blasko, Amelia Artists Inc., Atomique Productions Ltd.
  • Patrick Aldous, Music BC
  • Prem Gill, Creative BC (Chair)
  • Sarah Fenton, Watchdog Management

“Seeing our Province make such a significant investment really speaks to the value of music to our economy and culture,” says Blasko, who manages JUNO winners Tegan and Sara. “The BC Music Fund will help the province compete on a national and international level.”

The BC Music Fund will allocated through four main streams:

  • Music company development;
  • Live music performance;
  • Tour support for BC artists travelling within and outside Canada; and
  • Industry development.

The release notes that Creative BC will launch a funding program in support of the sound recording sector over the next few weeks as a pilot. Additional grant programs aligned with the Fund’s objectives will be developed over the summer and fall of 2016.

“This advisory committee will give insight to Creative BC on how to develop and administer the BC Music Fund, and continue to produce, promote, and support some of the world’s top musical talent,” said Premier Clark. “The success people like Bryan Adams and Nick Blasko have enjoyed is a major asset for BC, and the artists who will benefit from their experience.”

For more information on the BC Music Fund, visit CreativeBC.com and join their email newsletter for updates on the program.

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Ben Purkiss Design wins Gold at 2016 Muse Creative Awards for ‘Mastering of a Music City’ report

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Congratulations to Ben Purkiss Design, who won Gold in the Muse Creative Awards’ Annual Report category for his design of Music Canada & IFPI’s The Mastering of a Music City report. The announcement was made this past weekend by the Muse Creative Awards, which is an international competition for creative professionals who “inspire through concept, writing or design, whether through traditional or electronic media.” The 2016 Awards featured more than 1,200 submissions from 33 countries around the world.Gold Award Site Big

Purkiss designed the cover art, layout, and infographics for The Mastering of a Music City from scratch, creating a cohesive look for the 100+ page report. The report presents a roadmap to help local authorities, businesses, community groups, and the creative sector capitalize on the potential of music to build, grow and strengthen their cities.

“I had the incredible opportunity to work with IFPI and Music Canada on their publication Mastering of a Music City: Key Elements, Effective Strategies and Why It’s Worth Pursuing,” said Purkiss. “IFPI and Music Canada are those clients every designer dreams about; they EXPECT you to push your creative boundaries. It’s a very challenging, yet incredible experience that I am very grateful to have had.

“When I started the initial research ‘phase’ of this project, I looked for inspiration wherever I could find it; from movie intros, online ads and the far reaching depths of online portfolios,” he continued. “I wanted to create a visual masterpiece that challenged who I was as a designer and my abilities to use the software I work with every day. It certainly did not disappoint.

“I quickly discovered what was to be my main source of inspiration – clouds. Clouds are ever changing and evolving – they can hide something beautiful, or in this case, elements within a design. I took that idea to create layer upon layer of design elements – mixing colours and objects to create the overall visual cues. This was unbelievably challenging yet incredibly rewarding.”

The stunning design is a big part of the reason that the report has been so well received around the world, said Amy Terrill, Music Canada’s Executive Vice President, and lead author of the report. Since its release in June 2015, The Mastering of a Music City has been cited by an array of cities around the globe, including Sheffield, United Kingdom, Sydney, Australia, and Bogota, Columbia. To date, more than 800 printed reports have been distributed at more than thirty presentations to conferences and business association meetings in locations such as Pemberton, British Columbia, Columbus, Ohio, Aarhus, Denmark, and Brighton, United Kingdom.

“Winning a Muse Award was completely unexpected for me,” said Purkiss. “I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet, but it’s a gratifying experience knowing my work is truly recognized and rewarded.  I’ve never given myself much credit (let’s face it, most people are their own worst critics) but this is really showing that hard work can, and does, pay off – especially when you are given creative liberties from clients like IFPI and Music Canada who value the work of all artists.”

The Muse Creative Awards is administered by International Awards Associate Inc., and judged by a panel of internationally-recognized creative professionals. The panelists identified “the most innovative and creative concepts, the strongest executions, and the highest quality in messaging,” said an MCA release.

Photos of Ben’s design are available on his Behance page, and the full report is available for download in our Resources section.

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Discoverability Summit examines ‘Content in the Age of Abundance’

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The Discoverability Summit, presented by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the National Film Board of Canada, kicks off today in Toronto. The Summit examines “Content in the Age of Abundance,” as participants discuss strategies, tools and ways to improve the discoverability of content in various fields.

Discoverability Summit logoViewers can tune into the livestream in English or French, and the recording and transcripts of the event will be available in the weeks following the Summit.

Tomorrow at 10:35 AM, the Summit will discuss ‘Music and the New Accepted Normal’, with panelists:

The description of the panel reads: “The record label structure has drastically changed over the last 20 years. From its sole purpose of selling albums, what is the new structure and formulation of music in 2016? How are writers, artists and producers succeeding and making money through new techniques of business and placement of their music? Do streaming services actually provide a sustainable structure?”

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